Lenore Pinello of Tequesta's In the Kitchen shows us how to make Eggplant Gratin in Pomodoro Sauce, a family recipe passed down through the generations and available in her cookbook, Mangia Mama.

Eggplant Gratin

Olive oil, for grilling

¾ lb. eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick

¾ lb. mozzarella, sliced

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup Pomodoro Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the eggplant with oil season with salt and pepper and cook on a pre heated grill 2 or 3 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to a sheet pan and repeat the process until all the eggplant is cooked. In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the pomodoro sauce. Layer with sliced mozzarella. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, sauce, mozzarella and finally Cover with a layer of eggplant, Sauce and 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top. Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly inside and the top is browned. Serve warm.

Pomodoro Sauce

¼ cup olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, smashed

12 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the smashed garlic until golden.

Add tomatoes and pepper flakes to hot oil. Sizzle for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir often as tomatoes cook down, adding basil at the very end.

A self-described home cook, Lenore Pinello found her calling after retiring to Jupiter. After a 28-year career in the publishing industry, Pinello found herself in sunny South Florida, newly retired and looking for the next chapter in her life. After being invited to lead a cooking class, pulling recipes from her family cookbook, Mangia Mama, Pinello found her “second career,” thus In the Kitchen was born.

In the Kitchen opened in 2007 in the quaint Gallery Square North in Tequesta. Part store, part demonstration kitchen, In the Kitchen is a place where cooking and fun go hand in hand. Leading cooking demonstrations, classes and private events, Pinello welcomes guests into In the Kitchen, more home than retail shop, to learn new cooking techniques, improve skills or to just enjoy the company and a great meal. Pinello prepares each dinner along with guest chefs and/or veteran chef Joseph Scarmuzzi.

With a strong Italian heritage, Pinello’s life never strayed far from the kitchen. She is fond of saying her grandmother “never made a bad dinner, she would stick with it until it was perfect.” Never receiving any formal cooking instruction, Pinello attributes her cooking skills to her mother and sister, both proficient chefs in their own right. The cookbook Mangia Mama is filled with the family recipes Pinello grew up on, and is at the heart of In the Kitchen.

About In the Kitchen:

In the Kitchen is part demonstration kitchen, part gourmet cooking shop. Fully stocked in high-end chef’s gadgets and tools, unique kitchen gifts, local art and gourmet cooking products, In the Kitchen is North County’s go to cooking store.

Cooking classes and demonstrations include guest chefs and special events. Dinners include multiple courses with various themes influenced heavily by the seasons. Prices vary and class themes change as often as the seasons, so check In the Kitchen’s schedule for what’s cooking.